Brassiere



Patented July 14, 1936 BRAS SIRE Herman Schnaittacher, New York, N. Y., assignor to Venus Corporation, New York, N. Y.,fa corporation of New York Application April .18, 1935, -seria1'No.'16f,942

Y 1 claim. (u1u- 280) This invention relates to brassires,1and more particularly to an improved type of brassire for nursing mothers.

An object of this invention is to provide a brassire which is constructed in amanner `to hold the breasts of nursing mothers against-sagging and against undue rpressure so as to prevent leakage.

Another object of this invention is to provide a brassire which will entirely cover the breasts, but which is so constructed that no pressure is applied directly to the nipple, the breast being upheld from the lower portion thereof and the remainder of the breast being enclosed so as to prevent lateral or vertical movement thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which is constructed to prevent soaking of the garments by any leakage, the device including a removable absorbent pad which is removably held in a detachable pocket, and the pocket embodying waterproof material to prevent contact of the garments with the absorbent pad.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a detail rear elevation of a brassire constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l, but showing the device in applied position.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken substantially through the center of the removable pad holding pocket.

Figure 4 is a detail rear elevation of the pad holding pocket.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line I-1 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral I8 designates generally an elastic body having an end of a pair of shoulder straps II secured thereto, the free ends of the body I8 are provided with releasable fastening members I3 of conventional construction. Preferably the body I0 is fastened together at the front thereof, and

and it will be accordingly understood that 'the (75' description of one of these members I2 with its associated members will apply equally as well fto thefother member I2.

VA'The breast engaging member I2 'has a convex lower edge portion I4 which is secured as by 10 stitching I5 to Athe concave Aupperedgeportion of the body I0, as at I6. This member I2 is provided with tucks or gathers I'I extending downwardly from an annular opening I8 and also with side tucks or gathers I9 in substan- 15 tially the horizontal center of the member I2 extending from the opening I8 forwardly, as shown in Fig. 1. Rearwardly extending tucks or gathers 28 are also provided, and by means of these tucks I'I, I9 and 28 the member I2 is 20 shaped in a manner to snugly receive a breast.

Preferably the tucks I1 are greater in number than the tucks I9 and 20 so as to form a breast holding pocket as shown at 2l in Fig. 2. This pocket 2| is adapted to engage the breast 25 at a point adjacent the body and at the lower side thereof so as to prevent sagging of the breast and to hold the member in its natural position.

A pocket member including an outer wall 22 and an inner wall 23 is secured to the member 30 I2 in the annular opening I8 thereof, .and preferably the pocket member has an opening 24 in the inner wall thereof, which as shown in Fig. 1 is of substantially horseshoe shape or inverted U-shape, with a straight lower portion 25. 35

Removably disposed in the pocket formed by the walls 22 and 23 is a removable pad holding pocket generally designated as 26. This pocket 26 is formed with an outer wall 21 and an inner wall 28. The outer wall 21 is preferably formed 40 of substantially moisture proof material so that when an absorbent pad 29 is placed within the pocket 26 the moisture will not engage a garment contacting with the front of the brassire.

The inner wall 28 of the pocket member 26 is 45 formed of two parts 30 and 3I, the part 36 being substantially U-shape and the part 3I being the lower portion of the wall 28 and provided with a straight upper edge 32. The opening 33 in the pocket 28 is substantially larger than the cen- 50 tral portion of the breast so that the nipple will project entirely through the opening 33 and will be embedded in the padding 29r which may be constructed of any suitable absorbent material capable of being readily inserted and removed 55 from the pocket 26 in either a dry or moistened state. The lower portion 3| is also constructed of moisture proof material, whereas the upper U-shaped member 30 may be constructed of any suitable type of soft cloth. It will be understood that when in applied position the pocket member 26 will not contact with the breast, as will be noted from Fig. 2. The two walls 21 and 28 are secured together at their marginal edges by stitching 34, and the lower edges of the wall member 3D are secured as by stitching 35 to the upper edge of the lower wall member 3I as shown in Fig. 4.

The shoulder straps II have their rear ends secured to the yieldable body I 0, and the other or front ends of the straps II are secured as at 36 to the upper or peak portion of the member I 2.

In the use of this brassire it will be understood that if desired the device may be used without the pocket member 26 being in applied position, and in this case the lower portion I1 of the breast engaging portion I2 will uplift and hold the breast in its natural position with the central portion of the breast projecting into the opening 24. It will therefore be seen that this brassire may be used both before and after the nursing period as well as during the nursing period. During the nursing period the pocket member 26 may be inserted in the pocket formed by the walls 22 and 23 and the absorbent pad 29 placed in this pocket 26 so that any leakage will be quickly absorbed,

and if there is an unusual amount of leakage the well formed between the lower wall 3| and the lower portion of the outer Wall 2l will retain the liquid.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that an exceedingly practical brassire has been provided which will uplift the breasts without causing undue pressure thereupon, and more particularly without causing direct pressure upon the nipples.

What is claimed is:

In a brassire comprising an elastic body member and a pair of substantially inelastic pocket members, each having a central opening on the rear side thereof and an outward bulge in the center thereof, and an absorbent pad placed between said outward bulge and opening, and having a surrounding breast-engaging member with a convex lower edge portion secured to the body member and extending below said pocket members, tucks disposed on said breast-engaging member immediately below the pocket members for strengthening that portion of the breastengaging members, said tucks being disposed below said bulge of the pocket members to form a breast-uplifting support adapted to engage the breast substantially adjacent the body to hold it in natural position and to prevent sagging of the same.

HERMAN SCHNAI'I'IACHER. 

